China’s E-Commerce businesses are expanding into pharmaceuticals as the government directs prescription drug sales away from hospitals and into retail outlets. The online pharmacy business reached 15.2 trillion yuan (US$ 2.39 trillion) in 2015 in China, almost double from the 7 trillion yuan in 2014, according to the 2015 China Online Pharmacy Data Report delivered at a forum on China’s online health business in Hangzhou last week. This compares with 4.3 trillion yuan in 2013 and just 100 million yuan in 2010. The boom may be only a prelude to explosive growth to come, provided that authorities allow online pharmacies to sell prescription drugs. Thus far, sales consist mainly of over-the-counter medicine, with very slim margins, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said in a report Thursday.
